What should I pack for Australia? Good question. Here’s my packing list for 3 weeks travelling in Australia.
Luggage – 18 days Australia
And yes, it fits all into the 20 kg economy class + 8 kg hand baggage allowance of most airlines 🙂
Clothes
1 rain jacket
2 pairs of jeans
lots of shorts
3 casual shirts
4 or 5 T-shirts
Jacket and trousers or dresses (for evenings out)
1 warm sweater
Socks (lots)
Underwear (lots)
Nightwear
Swim wear and towel
Shoes
Comfortable shoes (for outdoor activities)
Sandals/thongs/flip flops
Going out shoes
Toiletries
Toiletry bag and contents
1 small bath towel
Sun screen
Insect repellent
Aspirins/medications
Handkerchiefs/tissue
Miscellaneous
Sunglasses
Pegs
Flashlight
Power adapters
Day bag
Also think about a netbook or tablet. It’s a great way to view photos, write emails to your friends and research about your environment (Where’s the best restaurant?) .
Lets’s review my first Australian Contiki Tour. The Beaches and Reefs tour is part of the bigger Aussie Explorer tour in Australia.
If you’re interested in doing the Aussie Explorer tour this article maybe right for you, as it features about 60% of the tour you’re going to do.
Aussie Explorer is a 2 part tour. The East Cost from Sydney to Cairns and the second part from Alice Springs to Darwin (or reverse).
The Beaches and Reefs Tour goes from Sydney to cairns (or reverse). My first Australian Contiki starts in Sydney.
Itinerary
Day 1 An early morning. After filling some forms and handing our tickets to Justine (our tour manager), we loaded our baggage in the coach. Then we took our group photo in Sydney with the Harbour Bridge in the background. At lunch we headed to Port Stephens for a nice dolphin cruise. Then we enjoyed the afternoon at the Shoal Bay Resort and Spa. And yes, we had a room party 😉
Day 2 we drove to Coffs Harbour, stopping in Port Macquarie for lunch. At this place we stayed at a Surf Camp in little containers and had our first surfing class. Our container didn’t have a toilet, therefore we received a voucher worth 150 AUD for photos and a free T-Shirt.
Surf Camp
Day 3 we headed to Surfers Paradise, stopping in Byron Bay for a few hours for lunch. On our way to Surfers Paradise, we stopped at Cape Byron which is Australia’s most eastern point. Then, we crossed over to Queensland and visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where we pet kangaroos and took photos with Koalas.
Day 4 was a day for optionals and free time at Surfers Paradise. I spend the morning jumping out of a plane. Sky diving at the Gold Coast with a landing on a beach. It’s just amazing. In the afternoon I spent some time at Billabong and took lots of photos. Then we went out to Sin City with the whole group.
Day 5 we stopped at Brisbane, capital of Queensland for a few hours to experience the city. We also saw a presentations about opals. The we drove to Noosa, a trendy beach town.
Day 6 most of us booked the optional 4WD Fraser Island Day tour which took us all through the island’s sandunes, rainforests and freshwater lakes. Swimming at McKenzie Lake and a nice BBQ afterwards.
Day 7 After a night in bunk beds we headed to a country homestead in the heart of Queensland. Most of us dressed up in our western gear for our big roast dinner and then Karaoke night!
Sailling at Whitsunday Islands
Day 8, 9, 10 involved sailing around the beautiful Whitsunday Islands on a racing sail boat. This was not the relaxing yacht ride that many of us thought we were in for. When we were sailing, the boat sat at a 45 degree angle so we would all have to sit at one side of the boat. Sailing included us hanging our legs over the edge, taking in the beautiful views of the islands. We also stopped at a few places where we got to snorkel and see lots of amazing fish. We enjoyed Whitehaven Beach. A few of us even tried sleeping out on the deck under the stars the first night, but it started to rain. The third day in the Whitsundays we stayed at Daydream Island. it’s a big island resort and spa hotel.
Day 11 we continued our journey to Cairns, stopping in Townsville on the way for lunch. It was also Australia day. Party time!
Fun at Whitehaven Beach
Day 12 started bright and early. A few of of our group (including me) headed to AJ Hackett for bungee jumping and Minjin Swing. I opted for the Minjin swing.
Day 13 the whole group went on an optional Great Barrier Reef cruise where we spent the day snorkelling and scuba diving the most beautiful reef. At night, we went out in Cairns to the Woolshed for our last night as a group.
Day 14 we made a stop to the rainforest village of Kuranda to see an Aboriginal Experience. We also got to throw a boomerang. Then we made our way back to Cairns Colonial Club Resort. We enjoyed some refreshing Australian beers and said goodbye to some tour mates in our group.
Verdict
This tour is just awesome. You see so much from the East Coast of Australia and you also have fun at night with night clubs, Karaoke on a farm and a nice sleep under the stars.
My personal favourite is sailling between the Whitsundays and going Sky diving at the Gold Coast.
You have to do this tour!
You have a 6 hours stop over at Changi Airport? Awesome. Singapore Changi Airport has so much to offer. The whole airport feels like beeing in a hotel.
Here are some ideas, how you can spend your time smart.
Singapore Changi Airport - Terminal 3 - Shopping area
Plenty of time? You can do a Free Singapore city Tour and take in the sights and sounds of Singapore.
Experience international cuisine at one of the many restaurants and dining options.
Spent some time waling through the flower and plants gardens at Changi Airport. You can find different gardens in every terminal.
Enjoy some time at the fish spa in terminal 1.
Watch a free movie at one of the cinemas and Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
Take swim at the roof top swimming pool in terminal 1.
There’s much more to do and explore at Changi Airport, I will update this article everytime I visit Singapore or fly via Changi Airport.
[note color=”#FFCC00″]Info: This guide is outdated! Click here for the updated 2012/2013 edition of the article.[/note]
The team of Changi Airport offers international travellers free WiFi in all terminals. Just connect to the WiFi and you’re online? It’s not that simple. You can find here the original information page. Here’s a short and simple step by step guide:
step 1 – check requirements:
You need your passport
Your Netbook/Notebook/Tablet/Pad/Smartphone oder other WiFi enabled device
step 2:
Go to any information desk in the transit area, you can find them every few hundred meters in all terminals.
step 3:
Ask for the “Free WiFi Pass”. The staff of the information desk will eventually ask you for your passport to note the details.You get a piece of paper with login details.
4th step:
Connect your WiFi device with the access point “Wireless@SG” (SSID). As soon as you want to visit the first website, you will be redirected to a login form.
5th step:
Enter your the login details from the paper and submit. Now you’re online!
Select as service provider “M1net”. The username contains @m1net.com.sg. The password is uppercase.
I’ve used this WiFi in Terminal 3 at Singapore Changi Airport a couple of times. It should work the same way in the other terminals.
[note color=”#FFCC00″]Info: The access for each Username/Password combination is limited to a few hours.[/note]
That’s why I’m presenting you my Top 3 Airports (from small to huge).
Cairns International Airport
Cairns International Airport
This is my favorite airport of the category “small airports”.
It’s located 2 km north of Cairns in Queensland, Australia. It’s a small, but also international, Airport at the north east coast of Australia.
This airport is served by Qantas, JetStar, Virgin Australia and other. I love especially the Domestic Terminal of cairns Airport. You pretty much need just 10 minutes from Check-in to the Gate.
There lots of small shops and eating places. Even a small pub, known as “Blue Sky Brewery”, can be found in the domestic terminal.
Munich Airport International
This is my favorite airport of the category “medium-sized airports”. It’s located 30km outside of Munich. The airport is perfectly connected by train, bus and the motorway. I prefer the train connections between
Munich Airport Centre
Munich Airport and the city of Munich. Trains run on the lines S1 and S8 every 10 minutes. Even until 2am. The airport itself serves people in Terminal 1, Terminal 2 (The Star Alliance Terminal) and the Munich Airport Center.
Terminal 2 is the home of Lufthansa’s second Hub in Germany. Lufthansa flights and partner airlines depart from here until 10 pm at night. There are a few shops in the public area of this terminal. Most of the shops can be found in the passenger area. Many famous brands have their own flagship store at Munich Airport. You can even find an erotic and adult store in the transit area for your personal “pleasure”. You need your coffee in the morning? Starbucks can be found next to the arrival area of Terminal 2.
Terminal 1 is much older, but it’s also stuffed with shops, snack bars and restaurants. BA and other Oneworld partner airlines depart from Terminal 1.
The already mentioned Munich Airport Center is located between both terminals. Basically a shopping mall with big open air area and an Biergarten, where you can enjoy some delicious Bavarian Beer. The Beer is brewed at the airport at the AirBräu brewery. Awesome! It is also home to many fun sport events and other activities. Have you ever been surfing at an airport? Munich Airport was home for an big wave surfing event. Lots of people headed to the airport to go surfing. Sounds strange? That’s Munich. 😉
Munich is famous for its 30 minutes connection time. That means you can arrive from an international flight, go through passport control and board your domestic flight in under 30 minutes. Have you ever tried that at Heathrow Airport?
Singapore Changi Airport
First, this is my favorite airport in the world. It’s huge and it’s the world’s most awarded airport. The whole airport looks like a 5-star hotel. The whole airport is stuffed with carpet (almost everywhere) and plants. Free WiFi in the whole
Singapore Changi Airport - Terminal 3 - Shopping area
airport, several gardens (Butterfly garden in T3 and cactus garden in T1), free cinema, awesome shopping malls…. You get it 😉
Changi Airport consists of 3 terminals, connected by automatic shuttle trains between them. It takes about 10 minutes if you want to walk from Terminal 3 to Terminal 1. The airport itself is perfectly connected by SMRT (Singapore Mass Rapid Transit) train service.
Terminal 3 is awesome. all famous brands have their own stores in the shopping area. Lots of dining and beverage options. E.g. Starbucks, Subway, Hard Rock Cafe, Boost juice bars.
You can find drinking water dispenser and foot massage chairs all over the terminal. Don’t know what to do? What about a free foot massage in one of those chairs that you can find almost anywhere in the terminal. Or you can jump over to the free movie cinema, where blockbuster movies are shown. Click here for the current screening times. What about a swim Singapore Changi Airport - Terminal 3 - Cinemawhile watching arriving and departing planes? Time to explore Singapore Changi Terminal 1.
Terminal 1 has the biggest shopping mall I’ve seen so far. Hundreds of shops, restaurants and fast food. All major brands have their own stores.
This Terminal is also home to another open garden of Changi Airport. The famous Cactus garden features many surreal plants. Terminal 1 also has a place that is very unusual to find at an airport. On the roof top of Terminal 1 you can find a leisurely swimming pool.
Terminal 2 offers a sunflower garden. I heard it’s very beautiful. I haven’t been to Terminal 2 yet, hence I will write more about this terminal next time when I am at Changi Airport.
I will feature these airports in upcoming posts with much more detail. Stay tuned.
It’s Sunday, which means it’s time for some food porn. “What’s onboard”.
Today’s featured flight is SQ298 – Christchurch – Changi (departs at 11:20am)
Lunch
This was my first daytime flight with Singapore Airlines. Therefore had been very excited about the lunch menu they’re offering.
Even in economy class you have the choice between several meals.
Lunch on SQ298 - January 2012
appetizer: Couscous salad with beef pastrami
main courses
Grilled salmon fillet with green peppercorn sauce
Kung-po style chicken with rice and vegetables
dessert: Ice cream
I opted for the Grilled salmon fillet. It’s really delicious and maybe the best economy class meal I’ve had so far.
They offered hokey-pokey ice cream. I read it’s Kiwi’s favourite ice cream.
Inflight snacks
The lovely Singapore Girls regularly go through the aisle and offer drinks and light bites
What they offer:
Savoury sandwich/rolls
vegetarian sandwich/rolls
Roasted peanuts
Sweet slice
Muffin
Potato chips
Fruit
I picked a delicious Savoury sandwich.
Light meal
Time for an early dinner. (I love time zone differences).
appetiser: Waldorf salad with smoke chicken
Main courses:
Roasted chicken with honey mustard sauce
Stir fried beef in oyster sauce
dessert: Chocolate mousse
I opted for the stir fried beef. with seasonal vegetables and rice. My first thought: The best inflight meal in economy class.
Welcome to the 2nd part of my new series “What’s onboard”. In this series I will feature the awesome meals (and drinks;-)) I get while flying at 30,000ft.
Today’s featured flight is SQ285 – Changi – Auckland (departs at 21:10) on a Boeing 777-300ER.
Dinner
Dinner on SQ285 - January 2012
The first dinner was awesome. Even in economy class you have the choice between several meals.
I opted for the Chicken with rice, carrots, cabbage and Chinese mushrooms. It’s really delicious and a perfect meal before sleeping through the flight.
It also includes a delicious salad and a roll with butter, cheese and cracker.
Quite a few people asked me “How is Contiki?”.
Quote: “Is Contiki just a big party or do we get to see some sights?”
I’ve done several Contiki tours. I think I am able to tell you more about the differences between tours in several countries
Are there only drinking people on the tour?
During my tours I’ve met 3 types of people on each tour.
First, the people who want party und action, then the people who want discover “country, people and culture” and the third group who want best of both world. You can see that with the booked optionals. While some people do Bungy jumping, Sky diving…, other people do tours to the Rainforest or similar.
Usually you book the same optionals as your new friends. 🙂
How are the people in “Quad-Share” rooms?
Sleeping on a sailing boat between the Whitsundays
On my first Australian Contiki Tour, Justine, the tour manager did assign the rooms. If you had problems with any of your room mates, you could go to her and arrange something. Usually you stick together with the same people, which means if you like your room mates, then the tour manager assigns the same people to a room.
Josh did it a bit different on my Contiki New Zealand tour. He handed out a room list while on the coach, everybody can sign up for himself and
the new friends. So get the list early to make sure you get one of the better rooms (triple share instead of quad share in some hotels)
Contiki Tours are different in Europe?
According to my tour manager Josh: yes. In Europe it’s more like:
Sightseeing during daytime, Dinner at night and then booze and party all night.
Josh is a “Kiwi” tour manager, who did tours in Europe for a long time, then he moved back to New Zealand.
Get up early or long nights?
Relaxed afternoon on Whitehaven Beach
On my first Australian Contiki tour and my New Zealand tour,there were often the so called “Early Mornings”.
Depending on how far the distance to the next point of the journey, sometimes this may mean:
7:20 am bags to Coach (bags / suitcases to the bus), 7:25 breakfast, 7:55 departure.
Sometimes there are also departures at 8:30 🙂
In Surfers Paradise Contiki stays 2 full nights, that means on the 2nd day you can sleep in, if you didn’t any booked early optionals.
On my first Australian Contiki tour and my New Zealand tour, there were often the so called “Early Mornings”.
Depending on how far the distance to the next point of the journey, sometimes this may mean:
7:20 am bags to Coach (bags / suitcases to the bus), 7:25 breakfast, 7:55 departure.
Sometimes there are also departures at 8:30 🙂
In Surfers Paradise Contiki stays 2 full nights, that means on the 2nd day you can sleep in, if you didn’t book any early optionals.
You’re flying to Sydney. Here are 5 tips you should read. I love this Airport and stayed there for several hours on my first arrival in Australia.
1. Get a local sim card
Telstra - sim card starter kit
for your mobile phone. Using a local sim card with an Australian phone number is in most cases cheaper than roaming with your carrier at home.
Both Vodafone and Yes!Optus have retail stores in the public area of the international terminal. Also, you can get sim cards for Telstra at the Australia Post Office in the departure hall of the international area.
Make sure your phone is unlocked and supports the right 3G frequency bands. Telstra uses mostly 850 Mhz, while Vodafone and Optus use a Mix of 2100/900 Mhz (and sometimes 850 Mhz, depending on the area).
Check your phone’s manual or ask your carrier at home for details.
Also check details of your Australian carrier of choice, the frequencies may changed.
2. Get sunscreen!
My travel agent recommended SPF 30 or SPF 50 depending on your skin. The o-zone layer in Australia is not as strong as it is in Europe or the USA. You can get sunscreen at the pharmacy stores at Sydney Airport.
You need to check your emails or update your Facebook status?. Sydney Airport has internet kiosks in several locations at International Terminal (T1) and Domestic Terminal (T2). Most offer a free internet session for a specific time period
Before heading to duty free shopping and the customs and immigration counters, make sure to grab a free Sydney city guide book. some of them also include coupons for several attractions.
The city guide books are available in several languages.
5. take the train
Most people I know stay in Sydney when they arrive in Australia at Sydney Airport. When you stay in the Central Business District, the train is often a better option for transport from/to the Airport.
It’s a direct connection, no traffic jams and it’s eco friendly.
There are train stations at the International and the domestic terminal. According to airportlink.com.au a ticket to the CBD costs $ 15.40 AUD
in Australia
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